After the Fact: The Surprising Fates of American History's Heroes, Villains, and Supporting Characters

by Owen J. Hurd

Overview

“Where Are They Now?” meets History 101.

We’re all familiar with the seminal events and key players in our nation’s history. But what about the lives lived after the fact?

Picking up where traditional histories leave off, After the Fact uncovers the telling details of history’s most compelling subplots:  

• After his famous midnight ride, Paul Revere was later kicked out of the militia for his role in the Penobscot Expedition, the most disastrous military blunder of the Revolutionary War.
• Consumed with guilt over his role as a magistrate in the Salem Witch Trials, Samuel Sewell became an advocate for both African and Native American rights.
• Years after clashing with bootleggers like Al Capone, former Prohibition agent Eliot Ness was involved in a hit-and-run accident while driving under the influence of alcohol.
• After her famous bus ride, Rosa Parks worked as a seamstress, performed behind-the-scenes volunteer work for the NAACP, and sued the band Outkast.
• After resigning the presidency, Richard Nixon unwittingly testified on behalf of Deep Throat in an unrelated conspiracy trial.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780399537530
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	08/07/2012
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	5.46(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.71(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Owen J. Hurd is an author and editor in Chicago, Illinois, where he has lived and worked in book publishing for many years. After attending the University of Illinois at Urbana, he earned a master's degree from DePaul University. He is the author of two books, Chicago History for Kids and After the Fact.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction xi

1 Age of Discovery 1

2 Early Settlers and Pilgrims 17

3 The American Revolution 33

4 The Western Frontier 45

5 Literary Legacies 58

6 The Civil War 75

7 Disaster Relief 92

8 Wild West Outlaws and Sheriffs 110

9 Inventors 126

10 Gangsters and G-Men 144

11 Games Over 163

12 World War II 183

13 Happy Days No More 203

14 Civil Rights and Wrongs 218

Further Reading 239

Index 249

Editorial Reviews

Hurd (Chicago History for Kids) has compiled information on figures from American history that goes beyond the material often found in history books. Hurd's 14 chapters are arranged in rough chronological order and cover several individuals each, concluding with "Loose Ends," a section discussing others who had a lesser role in the stories told in the chapter. While no index is included, the further-reading list at the end of the book helps in this regard as it lists individuals by chapter. Hurd uses approachable language that might even appeal to middle school and high school students, but the lack of citations for the information included makes this title much less useful for academic libraries, and the details of some individuals' lives are available in such standard works as Oxford's American National Biography (ow.ly/cuK5y). VERDICT Optional for middle and high school libraries and public libraries.—Rosanne M. Cordell, South Bend, IN

Library Journal